King & Kingslayer

Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob

“Two weeks ago, five incumbent Indiana state senators ‘weren’t just defeated,’ as NBC’s Steve Kornacki explained, ‘they were defeated in landslides.’ The five had bucked President Trump’s call to redraw the state’s congressional map …. On Saturday in Louisiana, Sen. Bill Cassidy, a 12-year Republican incumbent, became the first elected U.S. Senator to lose in a primary since 2012. … Cassidy was one of seven GOP Senators who found Mr. Trump guilty in his second impeachment trial, following the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. I cannot recall a president of either party ever wielding so much electoral clout within his own party — perhaps partly because other presidents did not attempt to reshape their party as aggressively as Trump has, and partly because no president has enjoyed the outsider status required to mobilize the disgruntled grassroots.” (05/19/26)

https://thisiscommonsense.org/2026/05/19/king-kingslayer/

Should a Murder Victim Have Rights in the Criminal Justice Process?

Source: The Volokh Conspiracy
by Paul Cassell

“In every state and in the federal criminal justice system, when a crime victim is killed, the law allows a family member or other representative to step into the victim’s shoes and assert the victim’s rights. That framework has become a routine and influential feature of modern criminal justice, embedded in statutes, constitutional provisions, and everyday courtroom practice. Yet despite its centrality, the justifications for this arrangement have received relatively little sustained scholarly attention. That gap has become more apparent following Professor Lee Kovarsky’s recent article, ‘The Victims’ Rights Mismatch,’ which offers a serious and thoughtful challenge to prevailing assumptions about deceased-victim representation and calls for sharply limiting victims’ rights in such cases.” (05/19/26)

https://reason.com/volokh/2026/05/19/should-a-murder-victim-have-rights-in-the-criminal-justice-process/

Tom Steyer Wants to Save California From Billionaires. But Also Doesn’t Want Them to Leave

Source: Wired
by Katie Drummond

“The hedge fund billionaire turned gubernatorial candidate wants to tax California’s ultrawealthy, regulate AI, and keep Silicon Valley happy at the same time. Good luck with that.” (05/19/26)

https://archive.is/ybYCH

Eastern Congo: Ebola Deaths Rise to 131 as Outbreak Spreads

Source: US News & World Report

“Twenty-six more suspected Ebola deaths were recorded ⁠in ⁠24 hours in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, authorities said ⁠on Tuesday, and the head of the World Health Organization expressed deep concern about the outbreak’s spread. The new deaths bring to 131 ​the fatalities associated with the outbreak in eastern DRC. There have been 516 suspected cases and 33 confirmed cases in DRC, according to a daily bulletin published by health authorities, and two confirmed ‌cases in neighbouring Uganda. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared ‌the outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus a public health emergency of international concern on Saturday, the first time a WHO chief has done so before convening an emergency ⁠committee.” (05/19/26)

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2026-05-19/ebola-deaths-in-eastern-congo-rise-to-131-as-outbreak-spreads

Gracearchy with Jim Babka, episode 160

Source: Gracearchy with Jim Babka

“Did Libertarian Party national Chair Steven Nekhaila and Vice Chair Paul Darr call Jim Babka for a crucial LP history lesson? Did they take extraordinary action after that call? Who are these men, what makes them tick? And what will happen next, given that they’re moving on from their current positions?” (05/19/26)

https://rumble.com/v7a1e1e-160-libertarian-national-chairs-nekhaila-and-darr-gracearchy-with-jim-babka.html

US/Iran Energy Shock Damage Is Spreading in Asia

Source: Antiwar.com
by Dan Steinbock

“The US/Iran-linked energy crisis has shifted from a commodity shock to structural geopolitics, with Asia at the epicenter due to its dependence on imported oil and LNG. Global reverberations can no longer be avoided.” (05/19/26)

https://original.antiwar.com/dan_steinbock/2026/05/18/us-iran-energy-shock-damage-is-spreading-in-asia

NYC: Federal judge bans ICE arrests at Manhattan immigration courts

Source: The Guardian [UK]

“A federal judge in New York has banned US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from arresting immigrants in or around three federal courthouses in lower Manhattan, where vigorous confrontations have played out since the start of Donald Trump’s second presidency. Under an order issued on Monday by P Kevin Castel, a US district judge, federal agents are no longer allowed to make arrests of immigrants except under exceptional circumstances at the sites where hearings are held before immigration judges. Castel’s ruling came in response to a lawsuit brought by the New York Civil Liberties Union, the American Civil Liberties Union, Make the Road NY and other groups.” (05/19/26)

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/19/ice-arrests-ban-manhattan-courts-immigration